Ben's Lessons this Week

BEN LEARNED HOW TO SHOP LIKE A MAN:  Ben had "the best day ever" a few days this week.  On Monday Derek had the day off and he took Ben shopping.  They had a great time.  He told Derek it was the best day ever.
BEN TAUGHT ME A LESSON IN ADORABLENESS:  One day this week he took me in both hands, looked at me sincerely and said, "Will you marry me princess?"  How could I resist this heart melter!
BEN KNOWS HOW TO POUND IT:  He has also started a funny response when you say "pound it" and hold out your fist--he kisses your fist!
BEN KNOWS HOW TO GET DRESSED!  He is getting himself dressed often these mornings.  One of the funniest parts about this is that he often wears his underwear backward.  (Luckily he has a tiny booty so this is possible.)  He does it because he wants to see the characters on the undies.  He doesn't think Handy Manny, or Rex, or Jake belong on the back, they belong on the front.  I can understand this!
BEN TAUGHT ME ABOUT WHERE TO WALK:  Yesterday at Shorewood we were walking through the parking lot to the school.  I was cutting across the driveway and he (going straight across the crosswalk instead of cutting) said, "Mom, there is a cross walk here, really!?"  Shamed by my 3 year old.
BEN TAUGHT ME ABOUT THE REAL WAY TO WASH HANDS:  We made cookies on Friday to take to Libby's class.  2 reasons: I was happy the glasses turned up, and I was feeling guilty that I had been thinking all along that one of her delinquent classmates had taken them.  Anyway, he was helping me roll the gingersnaps in sugar.  He got tired and his fingers were all goopy.  He licked them clean excitedly announced, MY HANDS ARE CLEAN and then wanted to help again.  I said, "Ben, you can't help again until you wash with soap and water."  His response:  "It is so much easier to wash with your teeth and tongue!"
BEN LEARNED WHY WE DON'T RUN IN THE HALLS:  Ben went with me to volunteer on Friday afternoon as usual.  When we were headed out to recess, he jumped out of the stroller and sprinted around the corner, nose first into the heavy duty black instrument case held in the hands of a 6th grader.  A crowded elementary school hallway is made much more complicated by a screaming 3 year old spouting blood from his nose.  Poor guy.  We missed most of recess getting the bleeding to stop.  His relapse later in the evening is part of a different lesson he learned....
BEN LEARNED THAT 2 SQUARES IS ENOUGH:  Twice this week Ben has unrolled an ENTIRE roll of toilet paper into the toilet.  The, he tries to flush (he has become fascinated with "how much" will fit down the hole).  When it won't flush, he lets me know.  DISGUSTING!  I thought he learned his lesson when he did it earlier in the week and I chided him. But he did it again on Friday night.  I freaked out because it was just as we were sitting down to dinner with Clark & Alfi for Clark's birthday.  Ben cried so hard that his nose started bleeding again.  It took most of dinner (and a movie on the ipad) to get him calmed down so that it would stop.  Now he comes to tell me after he goes potty that he only put "a little" in.  Hooray!
BEN LEARNS HOW TO HAVE A GOOD CRY:  It would be wrong to call what Ben does tantrums.  He doesn't flail around and kick and scream, but he can cry for a good 20 minutes over things.  A couple of things that caused this response this week:  He wanted to wear an outfit that I gave to James, I put the chocolate in his chocolate milk (instead of letting him do it), and Dad helped him put on his pjs (instead of letting him do it).  That boy!  Generally he calms himself down eventually.
There is a lot to learn when you are 3!